“I always knew you were going to shoot up the school,” murder victim Sam Strahan told killer Caleb Sharpe just before he was shot, according to court records. “You know that is going to get you in trouble.” spokesman.com reports that there were plenty of other warning signs that Mr. Sharpe was mentally ill and potentially violent:
Sharpe bragged of owning multiple guns and knew how to make improvised explosive devices, according to one of Sharpe’s classmates . . .
According to Sharpe’s mother, he had written a suicide note a week prior. Sharpe’s school counselor knew he was suicidal, according to court documents.
Freeman student Christina Morrison said she knew Sharpe well. He was suicidal, had “mental problems” she said. She never expected him to be violent, however.
Once again, we have a killer whose behavior prior to the incident clearly indicated the potential for trouble. We don’t know if law enforcement was aware of Mr. Sharpe, but I’d like to know if and when you’d call the cops to report someone you considered possibly homicidal.
What would it take to make you drop the dime? And is that the right answer, anyway?